Albania, – Less Car, More Life

Albania-America

Cheryl and I are finally back in America now experiencing a bit of culture shock after 5 1/2 months in Europe. But after a jarring first few days where I felt both dizzy from the jet lag and the immersion into abundance, everything is feeling familiar again. There is a nice sense of relief that comes from being in a culture we understand. Well, mostly understand.

Off the tourist track in Elbasan, Albania.

Walking up Rhuga Thoma Kalefi, the busy market street of Elbasan.

And coming to America directly after a month in Albania has given us a real sense of contrast and the imbalance of opportunity. The GDP per capita of America is over 10x Albania’s. After 45 years of a repressive and closed dictatorship, no one takes their opportunity for granted in Albania. Young Albanians are globally aware with media and the internet, and emigration is still seen as the primary path to success, whether it be legal emigration to the US, UK, France, or Germany or a more desperate journey to Italy across the Adriatic. 10% of Albania’s GDP is in the form or remittances from abroad, a very high number for what now is technically considered a middle income country.

Ohrid, North Macedonia had a proper bus station which already differentiated it from our experiences in Albania.

But as always, I digress and obsess about geo and socio-economic issues. It’s one of the main reasons I love to travel…a fuller understanding of the world. A chance to talk to people at the source. Read, learn, and experience at the same time.

Trying to remember that we were still in Europe at the Elbasan Bus “Station”.

So when we have an opportunity to stop at a small city off the tourist track, especially if it’s on the way to another destination, we almost always say yes. Sometimes these hidden gems are some of your favorite places. Untouristed cities offer the opportunity to get off the guidebook and instagram track. Elbasan, Albania is the fourth largest city in Albania and only about 45 minutes south of Tirana. A few people had mentioned Elbasan, but I didn’t really have a “recommendation”. I figured out that the one international bus from Lake Ohrid to Tirana went right through Elbasan on the way. The challenge was that Elbasan wasn’t an official stop and this was a large coach bus run by the international Bus company, Eurobus. It would also save us going back into busy Tirana to transfer to Berat later.

Crossing the Gorica Bridge in Berat. The hostel was close enough to just carry our (~10kg) bags and not go to backpack mode.

14th-16th century frescoes in the Kisha e Shën Kollit, one of the many churches inside the sprawling Berat Castle.

So we decided we’d buy bus tickets online to Tirana (as this was the only option) and then hope the bus could drop us on the way. I held off booking any accommodation until we confirmed on the bus. We asked the driver as we boarded and they put our luggage in a separate compartment underneath. Cool, we’re doing this. As it turned out, we were the only two getting off anywhere else on this run. Hmm, why isn’t anyone else getting off in Elbasan?

The pleasant streetscape view from our apartment in Berat with the nearly 8,000 foot Mt. Tomorri in the clouds.

Our apartment in Berat was accessed off this side street under construction. A bit noisy for us, but happy they were creating more pedestrian space and plazas.

The bus was a complete mix of passengers from other Balkan countries and further afield, so the border crossing between North Macedonia and Albania was slow. We all handed our passports to a young (unmarked) guy who walked down the aisle of the bus and then disappeared. He finally returned 45 minutes later and then tried to make his way down the aisle with 50 passports. He tried to call out many challenging names as the bus swerved and swayed in sweeping corners descending over a thousand feet from the pass that separates North Macedonia from Albania. As he balanced all the passports in two hands, a particularly sharp corner sent dozens of them scattered across the floor of the bus. Oh great. And then it happened again a few minutes later. It was simultaneously comical and concerning (our passports!), but we mostly felt for the guy as we figured it must be his first day on passport duty.

Traditional clay tile roofs are constantly being patched and repaired.

As it turns out, he was just a random college student sitting up front who was selected/volunteered. I chatted with him at the rest break 20 minutes east of Elbasan. He was ethnic Albanian, but living just over the border in North Macedonia, and attending medical school in Tirana. He said the region near Lake Ohrid was mostly ethnic Albanian. He was likely headed abroad after training as Germany and other countries with staffing shortages are recruiting educated Albanians aggressively.

Cheryl posing with our only full size coach ride Ohrid to Tirana (Elbasan). Just hang on to your passport!

I hope he got a free bus fare or something for his effort. By the way, we did all get our passports back eventually as the travel gods made it all work out just fine.

Climbing to the high ridge towards the village of Drobonik above Berat. Look for the trail that heads SW out of Gorica.

Our 6 mile loop took us past grapes ready for harvest, possibly Pulës for white wine or Raki.

Old school still rules in much of Albania.

Trying to get back on course after a lively conversation with school kids in Drobonik.

A mountain/rural cycle route program above Berat was slightly aspirational here, but there are real opportunities for robust outdoor and green tourism in the future.

Elbasan itself has a nice Main Street lined with buzzy cafes, wide sidewalks, and ending at a large car free promenade space in front of its historic castle walls. It’s a busy market city too and has lots of young people and a university. The castle is unique as it’s on the flats of a valley, and is integrated into the fabric of the city with a few cafes and lodging options, mixed with regular city residents. It’s not the most picturesque castle or old town, and there are not really any other major sities of interest in Elbasan, but it does have a pleasant park, and we enjoyed our 24 hours there. People were friendly and genuinely pleased to see us tourists, and we were happy to see them. We did spot a cycle tourist from Germany at a cafe, but it turns out he was going to camp in the nice river valley west of town, so it did seem to be just Cheryl and I as far as tourists in this small city of 140,000. Our reward was really friendly locals at lunch and dinner, with a clear excitement to have Americans visiting. Albanians really are nice once you get through their guarded facade. The old adage that the fewer tourists a place gets, the more friendly and genuine the engagements resonated here.

How old is this olive tree? Older than me?

A sad reality of Albania is ubiquitous garbage and a lack of proper sanitation, especially at the edges of towns and villages

Slightly off course hiking but we now had a visual on Berat so just had to let gravity do its thing.

But our real goal after Ohrid was the historic city of Berat, so we took another stab at minibus roulette and had a hotel taxi take us to the bus station of Elbasan. It was both a lively and grungy spot, and once again, we were the ONLY obvious foreign tourists hanging out there. And thanks to the random minibus schedules, we were there for almost two hours. There is a decent cafe with a rustic bathroom (squat loos) on its edge, so it was ok. And as always, people were super friendly and leave you be as desired. Albania is chill.

The lively main promenade of Berat was a delight to stroll in early evening

The nice thing about our minibus from Elbasan to Berat (besides the cool music) was that it dropped us near the center of Berat and we could walk to our first nights’ lodging at a popular hostel in Gorica. (Double room, no bunks for these 50 somethings -:) The buses from Tirana to Berat generally only stop at the bus station outside of town, so you need to taxi or take the public bus.

The classic Ottoman style wood and stone architecture of Berat, a UNESCO world heritage site since 2008

Berat has a few different historic subvillages to explore on both sides of the river.

Berat is in located in an atmospheric location the Osum River valley and is a fascinating place to explore with rapidly developing tourism. It’s been a tourist star for a long time, but civic improvements and more restorations of crumbling buildings and ancient sites is making it even more appealing. After our night in the friendly (but young) Maya Hostel, we found a nice apartment in the center of town to settle into for three days. A number of apartments in older (non historic) buildings have surprisingly nice interiors in a rough shell and exterior. I had to block my inner civil engineer concerns as lightly reinforced concrete buildings with clay blocks are the standard construction style. Most would probably ok in a smaller earthquakes but would be no match for a big one. A moderate earthquake in Northern Albania in 2019 did kill and injure a lot of people, so hopefully more investment will bring more modern buildings and retrofits.

Back to a more standard minibus in Berat…departure TBD.

Legroom varied on the minibuses, but I usually straddled two seats or an aisle no problem.

We then caught our final minibus back to Tirana, with half hourly departures posted everywhere online…. but our (small bus/large minibus) still left randomly off of any schedule. We were excited to head back to Tirana for our final 5 nights, as we found it so surprisingly pleasant and green in our first touch down.

The Grand Park of Tirana was busy on a Sunday morning with walking, cycling, exercise areas, and a few cafes to enjoy.

Tirana’s Skanderberg Square shines at night.

Gyro style lunch is a “fast food” staple in Albania. I opted for the plate.

Plus, we knew we could now explore Tirana knowing a lot more about Albania after going full circle for nearly a month. Wow, a month in Albania. It was not even on our travel radar until this summer. It’s geographically diverse, but has less than three million people. But our slower tour of the country rewarded us with perspective. Pieces of history and cultural knowledge layered in our minds and gave us a clear understanding of how the complex and recent past has deeply influenced the character of the people. Oh, and the swimming on the coast was divine.

The access tunnel to the BunkArt 1 complex at the edge of Tirana sets the mood.

No person, chemical, or radioactive material was going to get in this massive bunker complex designed to protect Enver Hoxha and his government.

Living quarters for the leaders and basic operational services in the event of an attack from the imperialist forces. Hoxha created an isolated world based on fear most similar today to North Korea.

BunkArt uses many of the unique underground spaces to house art installations.

Lots of new construction on the fringes of Tirana, this with both city and mountain views.

Most Albanians in the world now live outside of Albania. They live all over Europe and the energetic youth clearly have their sights on opportunities abroad, especially Germany, France, and America. But it felt like we were experiencing a tipping point in the fall of 2023. More new and exciting things were happening in Tirana and that energy and prosperity seems to be starting to radiate out. But the reality is much more complex than our optimistic lens from two enthusiastic visitors.

This memorial across the street from the German Embassy commemorates the storming of the embassies by youth seeking asylum in June 1990.

An ad at the French Embassy. Countries are competing for the best and brightest Albanians.

The brain drain is continuing as the youth don’t have the time to wait around for their country to to triple their GDP. (Such as fellow Balkan Croatia) or an order of magnitude of economic opportunity as in Germany. But time and time again, our conversations with locals brought out their pride for their country, but a much more negative view of many aspects of daily life (drivers, corruption, pollution, etc).

A beautiful center running bikeway on Kavaja Street in Tirana. The mayor is progressive and dedicated to greening the City.

Fleets of all-electric taxis were a common sight.

Livable side streets and pedestrian space abounds in central Tirana.

Historic buildings and architecture are now being preserved in Tirana, even if there is not yet money to renovate.

Tirana is green on the inside now, but there is still work to do around the edges.

But this was one of my favorite places to experience now, because of the innocence of the people, and complex and overwhelming history. This innocence will (and is) changing as Albania integrates into the world fully, but for now, you can still experience a bit of the past overlaid by hope for a brighter future.

Ready to go “home” at Tirana International Airport.

Atop the newly renovated and reopened Pyramid of Tirana in a city that will surely be popping up in more travel sections in the coming years.

Happy Thanksgiving to all our American friends and peace to all!

A side trip out of Albania to Ohrid, North Macedonia.

Walking across the border from Albania to North Macedonia, on Lake Ohrid.

When we decided to do all our Albanian travel by bus and an occasional taxi, we knew it wasn’t going to be the easiest way to travel, but as we say to each other “We may see fewer places, but we will experience more”. The trip to Lake Ohrid was a great example of more experiences.

See more of less. Ooooh, travel motto t-shirt? Have I loved every bus trip? No. They have their ups and downs. Occasional motion sickness, drivers who smoke. But the pay off is that we both get to sightsee, we get to experience the same transportation the locals use, and you never know what your day will be like. Seamless? Almost seamless? Complete mess? Who knows? So off we go.

Pogradec Albania, the bus station where we arrived from Korçë. Step one.

Loading our bags into a taxi. Or just a car. Not really sure. Step two.

We walked to the bus station in Korçë, and quickly caught our bus to Pogradec. A town at the foot of Lake Ohrid. When we got off the bus in Pogradec, Albania, and walked towards the street, the driver of another bus asked us “Tirana?” No, Ohrid, we replied. He hooked his thumb towards another guy, “Ask him, he’s the boss.” The Boss agreed to drive us to the border for 1,000 Lek, or $10.00. Albania is a fascinating contradiction of confusing yet surprisingly hassle free. Tourism is still pretty new here, so bus schedules are not set in stone or well documented, but there seems to be very little scamming or property crime directed at tourists. This was a good example, we didn’t even leave the bus parking lot and the first person we interacted with sorted us out. A bit gruff, but helpful.

A welcome sign at the North Macedonia border.

The Boss dropped us right at the border and we put on our backpacks and lined up behind a car and three day tripping Italian tourists (no luggage), and had our passports stamped. Then it was about a kilometer long walk to the North Macedonia border control.

Approaching the North Macedonia border control on foot, step three.

Taking a trail down off the road to Monastery Saint Naum, where we think we can catch a bus to Ohrid.

Crossing the springs which feed into the lake and are a destination and popular sight.

The minibus was easy to find. Second and final bus of the day! Step four.

Step 4.5, try to get in to apartment. We didn’t have cell coverage in Ohrid so Rich had to buy a coffee and use a cafe WiFi to reach the apartment manager. And walk down and back up the hill again.

And a cup of tea on our balcony overlooking the lake. Successful transition.

We were excited to get out and walk the streets, first stop was the Church of Holy Mother, Kamensko.

No photos inside, but the outside was beautiful.

With a sweeping view across the town to the mountains.

The main street is a lovely pedestrian promenade. And the evening walk, xjiro in Albanian, is popular.

Hanging out by the ferry dock as the sun sets.

We had originally planned on 3 nights in Ohrid but switched to 4 nights for two main reasons, we liked our little apartment, which had a kitchen shared with two other units, and we were meeting up with other travelers from a Facebook group I belong to, Go With Less. We’ve done meet ups a few times and it’s always been really fun. You automatically have so much in common with other constant travelers, you get to trade tips, and share stories without having to explain what it is you’re doing.

The traditional old buildings in Ohrid have increasing floor space on each level, leading to this fun streetscape where the top floors of buildings across the street from each other are almost touching.

I like the streetlights which mimic the building silhouette. Some people thought they were a bit cheesy, but not me.

Ohrid is an UNESCO Cultural World Heritage site and has enough fascinating places to keep a visitor busy for several days, more if you enjoy walking the hills and coastal path, as we did. And if you like friendly cats, this is your town.

Up to Samuel’s Fortress (Самоилова тврдина) for a view over the city.

Rich surveys the town. N. Macedonia wins the big flag award. They fly impressively huge flags, very eye catching.

Down a trail and we pass by the Church of Saints Clement and Panteleimon (Православна црква „Свети Климент и Пантелејмон“).

And the Church of Saint John the Theologian (Црква „Свети Јован Богослов“). Are you starting to understand how many churches there are in Ohrid? Apparently at one time there were 365 churches, one for each day of the year.

The stone paved coast path is a lovely walk.

Back to the main street for a snack. Our old friend from Turkey – a Simit! Called a gjevrek here.

Checking out the promenade south of town, also a great space.

And a break for tea and coffee at the cafe where we used the wifi.

And discovered how friendly some of the cats are.

That night we had dinner with fellow travelers Doris, Ron, Peter, and Karen – all super nice Canadians. We met up again the next evening as well.

Get ready for a lot of cat photos. Our final day’s walk involved so many cats who were happy to be pet, to be picked up (unusual for free roaming cats), and would purr in my arms.

I didn’t make it very far before this one needed a cuddle too.

Then we were handed off to the cat who hangs out at the Chuch of St. John the Theologian.

Rich is now saying “Put the cat down. Let’s keep walking.”

Kitty says “Me too?” They stopped at the edge of their territory.

Lunch break in town. The pot of beans is called Tavche Gravche. A traditional Macedonian dish made with beans, onions, peppers, and tomatoes. Delicious.

After a post lunch nap and shower it was back out to find more cats to pet. And visit Church of Holy Mary Peryvleptos Црква „Богородица Перивлепта“ which had amazing frescoes but didn’t allow photos inside.

The view from the church plaza, more of the traditional houses.

One last kitty to wish us farewell, and we were off back to Albania.

We’re just headed back to Tirana now, but the next post will cover Elbasan, a decidedly non- touristy city, and Berat, the City of Windows.

Rich did a great job plotting our stops around Albania and North Macedonia. Tirana the northernmost heart, on the coast heading south – Vlorë, Himarë, Sarandë, then inland to Gjirokastër, Korçë, Ohrid, Elbasan, Rebat and back to Triana. Phew!

Our best waiter in Gjirokaster, Albania, was 13 years old.

Always happy to be off the bus and in a new place.

As Rich wrote about in the previous post, Albania is changing a lot. Part of that change is how many people are emigrating. When the Albanian borders opened in 1990, following the collapse of the Communist government, a multi decade long period of closed borders, people could finally leave. They could and did. Articles we have read state that up to 40% of the country’s population has left since 1991.

A view from the bus at Finiq, on the way from Sarande to Gjirokaster.

This hollowing out of towns isn’t apparent from the places we’ve visited so far, which are gaining more attention from tourists who bring money in. We see new hotels and guesthouses, restaurants that are seasonal for the tourist demand, and a younger generation who speak English well. Like our 13 year old waiter. When I asked how he learned English, he said he learned in school and had a tutor. Don’t think from my saying he was the best waiter we had so far that service in Albania is rude or non-existent, it’s neither. We find people working in restaurants and hotels to be straightforward and honest. Sure paying your bill can take a while, but that has to do with not rushing customers. You see that at any of the many cafes, it’s acceptable to sit for hours over a cup of coffee. No one will make you feel rushed.

We walked up from the bus, and I do mean up.

Rich in front of Hotel Argyropolis, a newly renovated and delightful place we enjoyed very much.

From our room we overlooked the sweep of town down to the Drino River Valley and the mountains.

What made this young waiter stand out was the way he interacted with customers, I think the restaurant was his aunt’s, during breaks he was playing with a young child he said was his cousin. When a better table opened up he asked a newly seated couple if they would like to move to the other table. He was snappy, took orders on his phone, recommended dishes and let us know when we were ordering too much food. He impressed us and the table near us, Canadian and British guys also on their first visit to Albania.

Gjirokaster is tourist gold. So picturesque.

Steep narrow lanes with cobblestones all done in the 1960s.

Apparently one route out of Albania and into a job in another country is the hospitality industry in Germany and other EU countries. And healthcare. The youth brain drain is serious, as is the amount of remittance money coming back to Albania from those employed abroad. https://theconversation.com/albanias-brain-drain-why-so-many-young-people-are-leaving-and-how-to-get-them-to-stay-207455

There are a lot of buildings still in need of repair. Some might see derelict buildings, we saw opportunities. This is a wonderfully unique city.

We were happy to walk up and down the hills and admire the buildings.

What a vista. Traditional buildings and a minaret.

I joke that walking with Rich is like a PacMan game. You walk until you hit a dead end or roadblock, then turn and walk some more.

How many photos of buildings in need of updating are too many? Look at that view!

We only had two nights in Gjirokaster, but we certainly made the most of our day and a half in terms of miles walked. The castle has a good history museum. Well worth a visit.

A view of the castle, and the view from the castle shows how strategic the location is.

A new road project connecting the upper part of town to the valley. We continue to be impressed with the attention paid to wide sidewalks here in Albania. You can see the walkway to the left of the road.

Changes are happening, but you can still park your camper van below the castle and enjoy the town.

Walkers are well rewarded with views like this.

And finding a lovely entryway with grape vine arbors overhead is another reward for climbing the hills.

The weathered green paint, the well kept stone roof, the view of the castle – a photographer’s dream. Sorry, just me with my little iPhone.

I love this drawing of Gjirokaster by the artist Chris Hassler. You can find him on instagram @kristogjiro . I want this on a t-shirt, a tea towel, as a print for a wall, or as wallpaper. I’m seriously fascinated with this artwork.

And the real slopes and buildings. The tower house buildings are very unique. The windowless bottom floor was to keep warring clans at bay, and the roof drains to cisterns in the bottom floor.

Zekate House (Shtëpia e Zekatëve), a tower house building which is a museum.

The view from the top floor clarifies the commanding position of this tower house.

A grand reception room on the top floor.

I love a museum loaded with tidbits of information. The castle museum did not disappoint. Not only did we get a good overview of Albanian history, which is fraught and loaded with emotion and perseverance, but also nuggets of local culture and realities.

A rainy morning, but we were armed with knowledge that locals recommend stepping on the black stones when it’s raining. They are not slippery like the pink and white stones.

Rich keeping to the black stones to check out a tower building closer up.

Cafe kitty also keeping to the black stones.

Yes, still taking pictures of the stone buildings. Everywhere you turn they catch your eye.

The museum alerted us to this use of tin sheets left over from cutlery production at the tin factory. An extra layer of garden fence. The tin factory closed at some point after the fall of communism.

The closing of communist government supported factories, like the tin factory, is another reason for the stagnation of Albania’s economy. Who can blame folks for wanting more opportunity and a better chance for success in another country? But we meet a young man like our waiter in a beautiful city like Gjirokaster and see a future for him running his own hospitality business here in Albania. A future that doesn’t involve leaving his country. It’s a bigger problem than mere tourist spending can fix, but once we’ve visited a place we will always be pulling for the success of the people there. And always be reminded of how quickly things can change.

Mid bus journey rest break in Leskovik, on our way from Gjirokaster to Korçë.

The bus, hood up once again, but still we rolled along.

Getting from Gjirokaster to Korçë was a scenic trip on a bus that was threatening to break down the entire four hour journey. The driver popped the hood 15 minutes before departure time and he another man had a loud discussion. Our first stop was a service station for more oil to pour under the hood. The engine only stopped once on the trip, and our worries of being stranded on a mountain pass did not come to be. Cracking the bus nut in Albania is hard, and Rich has been struggling, frustrated, successful, and confused each time we need to transit. So many people depend on these small buses, car ownership is very low, but for visitors it’s challenging to make sense of timetables and locations. We long for the regional bus stations of Mexico.

Korçe is not a big tourist destination but it’s a vibrant city with an extensive old town with recently re-cobbled streets. It’s at an altitude of 850 m (2,790 ft), and surrounded by the Morava Mountains.

Katedralja Ortodokse “Ringjallja e Krishtit”, the main Albanian Orthodox Church in Korçë. A lovely pedestrian street leads up to the Church.

The cobblestone streets were charming, if a bit tough to walk on.

Also home to the famous beer brewery, Birra Korca. As you can see, the spelling of place names varies.

Celebrating Rich’s birthday at the Birra Korçë beer garden. The draft pale.

And the dark, only available in cans this season.

We headed up out of town for a hike, although the weather was fine the air was hazy from agricultural burning in advance of predicted rain.

A graveyard above town with a freedom fighter statue.

The terrain reminded us both of Southern California.

Am I happy on this hike or faking joy? (It was steep and warm.)

Thankfully there was an opportunity to fill up our bottles.

And a café at the Mountain Lodge where Rich went local by dumping sugar into his coffee.

Although the hike up the mountain wasn’t my favorite (sunny, dry, on a road), on the hike back down to town we detoured through Drenovë, a town which looked as if it hadn’t changed in decades.

Drenovë had an old church which had escaped destruction during the communist era.

A stone wall topped by a stone roof. The traditional stone roofs are not anchored down, the stones hold each other in place. If you have a leak, you climb up and rearrange the stones.

An autumnal themed cat hoping you share your meal.

A last walk around town during the evening Xhiro, when folks take to the streets to walk and greet each other.

And off to the bus station for a journey across the border to North Macedonia.

We’ll be back to Albania after our trip to North Macedonia. I can’t help but wonder if Albania could have a trajectory like Ireland. The hard decades when all the youth were leaving could transform to a thriving economy and people returning with skills, ideas, and money to invest. We shall see, but for now, off to another bus! And a taxi. And a hike. And a bus. More on that day in the next blogpost.

The Happy Travelers in Gjirokaster, Albania.

Albania – A Snapshot in Time

It’s a travel cliche; you can read all you like, but until you touch the ground and meet the people, you’ll never get a true sense of a place. And some places feel particularly dynamic with extreme drama in their recent history or a promising future dawning. Albania is smack dab in the middle of a multi generational transformation. And we are here now.

A greener future for Albania and new opportunities to join the EU.

This was NOT how I pictured “chaotic and congested” Tirana.

Bikeways now connect a lot of central Tirana. Some double as walkways…

We were lucky to enjoy the recent renovation of the Pyramid of Tirana by MVRDV Architects and Arup. You can now climb the stairs on all sides and enjoy a variety of public spaces and views of central Tirana. It’s cool.

It’s become quite a hang out space. Took some waiting to get a photo without young people climbing the stairs.

The stunning renovation of the Pyramid includes TUMO, an educational organization focused on teaching youth innovation skills such as software, robotics, and animation.

Albania’s history gives it a very unique character. It came out of the gates slowly from the years of a repressive and isolationist government with continued troubles in the 90’s and modest economic growth until recently. But now it’s now on a faster rise and you can sense the optimism here. But it still has a GDP per capita about 1/3 that of Croatia and Greece, and challenges remain.

A delicious first dinner at Era restaurant in Tirana, which does creative takes of Albanian classics like this meatballs with pistachio

Of course I had to try one of the signature micro brews of Albania, Birra e Gjyshit, in the name of global research. It’s good.

But why are people so chill? Why is car ownership so low and why are the drivers surprisingly considerate of pedestrians and bikes? We started observing the character of the people in line for our flight from Geneva. Pretty chill. The Tirana customs and immigration was chill. Getting a SIM card? Chill. Taxi? Fixed fare and you guessed it, chill! In fact, adapting to just how chill people can be here takes some adjustment. (Especially my Type A personality!) It’s clearly a legacy of the past, but defines the present here. The young people do have a more energetic and engaged vibe.

Many things are a work in progress, especially in the coastal areas; the view from a cafe where we stopped briefly for lunch and a swim after Buntrint.

Tirana’s underground BunkArt2 Museum was a good overview of Albania’s communist era.

Bike culture had been here a lot longer than the recent car culture, and Albania still has one of the lowest car ownership rates in Europe.

One thing travellers often refer to when describing a country is the “hassle factor”. How difficult is it to get around, complete transactions, order food, get money, etc? Albania scores well on this front as interactions tend to be straightforward and prices are generally clear. (Exception: some taxis…which really is a global problem!) It can also be little things like making change for large bills spit out by ATMs. No problem in Albania. Credit cards are also taken at some places, especially in bigger cities and everywhere in trendy neighborhoods of Tirana (like Blokku).

Heading to the “North-South Bus Station” in Tirana. Cracking the code for the bus and minibus system is one of the bigger challenges for travelers in Albania.

That look says; ok, where the heck is the bus to Vlorë?! But no worries as we just walked around a bit and were quickly pointed to the right bus. Take a seat and pay on board. Generally.

I would recommend bringing a healthy supply of Euros as this can make it easier and cheaper to pay at places priced in Euros (most lodging). And note that all ATMs charge $5-$8 per withdrawal, so withdraw as many Lek as you can per transaction to minimize fees.

The minibuses or “Furgón” also transport packages such as these giant boxes taking 6 seats on our run. We were worried for the guys in front of the boxes in case of a sudden stop 😬.

Vlorë comes alive in the evening with pleasant sidewalk dining and great people watching. We had a good chat with the nice guys at the next table who were from the UAE.

Our strategy for a mid October visit was to head to the coast first as many places do start to shut down, and by early November only the bigger coastal destinations (such as Sarandë) still have a lot of life. We’d then explore the inland cities and villages in the mountains and high interior.

Our hotel had a fleet of free bikes which was great for getting around cycle friendly Vlorë and to our favorite swimming spot.

The promenade and small Azar Beach about 4 km south of central Vlorë offered turquoise water and better swimming than the main stretches of Lungomare.

Swimming near a Barrel Jellyfish (?) which just look beautiful and don’t have nasty stings (right?).

The strategy paid off as we still had nice weather, the beaches were still swimable, and enough was open to have a rewarding experience. We loved the chilled vibe of late season, and still met some nice fellow travelers, but if you want more of a scene, come earlier. If you want a full on party, packed nightclubs, and crazy beach scene, come in late July and August!

First course of seafood and perfect linguini at the wonderful little Skerdi Restaurant in Vlorë. The friendly owner/chef cooks amazing seafood and pastas.

And this is what we call “Raki face”. We don’t seek out Raki in Albania, but with so many friendly restauranteurs, the Raki finds us.

We decided to stop in the small coastal city of Vlorë on the way to the more popular parts of the coast and were really glad we did. Vlorë is extremely pleasant and has a wonderful primary shopping and restaurant street as well as a long beach promenade, all with heavily used bikeways.

The public buses in Vlorë are easy and clean. You can board any door and just pay the fare collector who comes around, and makes change. (40 lek)

Vlorë’s bus station is a long curb lined with shady cafes. Waiting for our 10am minibus to Himarë…until we were told it actually leaves at 11:30. Another coffee, please.

The minibus station…finding out schedules can be tough. Ask around or stop by the day before about the time you want to leave. Hotels and guest houses can also help a lot.

Our Transbus to Hiramë left Vlorë at 11:30 and arrived at 2:20 with one 20 minute bathroom and cafe stop. The trip is spectacular/slightly scary over the coastal mountains.

Sunset view from our apartment along Potami Beach in Himarë

The trip south from Vlorë heads over the Llogora Pass, with a stunning 3,000 foot decent towards the ocean. Traffic is still remarkably light and little towns dot the coast; some a bit charming and others more scruffy and modern. Himarë (or Himara) was very pleasant but it’s vibe was much more beach town than the real city scene of Vlorë. But it’s a spectacular setting and the 3 beaches around the bay of the City are pretty nice.

Sheep herder on the beachfront of Himarë.

Local markets abound with the ubiquitous cucumbers, peppers, tomatoes, onions, eggplant, and spices which make up most dishes.

Some longer trails such as the Albanian coastal trail have been established recently but in general, hiking is an adventure using partially mapped roads, fire roads, and foot paths.

Grapes and vines adorn many house; on the way to Livadi beach from Himarë

Olive trees were often mixed with ferns, which felt a bit out of place in the arid environment.

Olives and olive oil are a base of life in the region. And delicious.

Livadhi Beach…our favorite and a short hike from Himarë with some nice shade (at the undeveloped southern end).

By mid October many of the beach restaurants in our neighborhood had closed, so we made this friendly Taverna PiroΣia our home in Himarë as we preferred its vibe (and the walk) to main town.

And then the power went out during a rain storm, making for a romantic IPhone candlelight setting. Power can still be a bit spotty in Albania.

Zucchini pie, a Greek village salad, and Lamb “Juvetsi”. There are many Greek or Albanian-Greek restaurants in this coastal region.

Our next bus leg to Sarandë went well as the nice host of our apartment confirmed the minibus time and walked us to board (south of the main stop in Himara) where we found the driver had reserved two upfront seats for us based on her call to him. So nice. The Albanians we have met have been kind to a fault; but sometimes it takes a bit to draw them out from their extremely low-key nature. But it is really nice to travel here.

Café culture is strong here. Chilling in Sarandë

Since we were out of the main part of town in Himare, we decided to go for a centrally located family hotel in Sarandë. It was nice to enjoy the main pedestrian beachfront promenade in low season, and have access to more of the city’s less touristy restaurants. Yet we still could swim in the main beach with just a 5-10 minute walk. Just a few people still “beaching” at this time, but the water was still nice, with just a slight chill. (~20-22 deg C)

My dog buddy followed us to the bus stop in Sarandë and was determined to go to Buntrint with us.

The forum at Buntrint. Although not as intact as Pompei, Herculaneum, or Ephesus, we were able to fill in the structural and decorative gaps from our experiences there.

Exploring Buntrint Archeological Park just before the big crowds. Sea level rise is a problem for the site.

Layers of history at Buntrint include the Greeks, Romans, and Byzantine empires.

Much of the original city defensive walls are intact.

This is one of the few mosaics visible in Buntrint as most are kept covered by sand to protect them from the elements.

Our central location in Sarandë also meant easy access to the municipal buses that run every 30 to 60 minutes right to Buntrint National Park. (200 lek) However, the bus stops at 3 or 4 places along the main road out of Sarandë, so you can still catch the city bus a few km or more south of the city center, which is now an endless line of new boutique hotels, apartment buildings, and mostly seasonal businesses.

The springs and wells of Buntrint were a reason for its early success.

The Buntrint museum has some interesting artifacts and info but could use a refresh. Apparently a vastly expanded visitors center is in the works as visitation has grown quickly.

We loved the natural setting of Buntrint.

This cat was opting for back door boarding on the bus back to Sarandë.

We stopped briefly for a swim at the main beach in Ksamil (pronounced “Sam-ill”) but it was not our scene. In summer, no part of the beach is free and you have to pay for a sunbed.

There are many unfinished/abandoned buildings on the fringes of Sarandë, and unfortunately a pretty serious garbage and sanitation problem.

It’s been an enlightening time so far in Albania, and we have been charmed by the pace of life here and optimism we are seeing for the future. We will be rooting for a positive trajectory in this complex world and region, and hopeful that more of their talented and educated youth stay to build a stronger future. But for now, we all get to enjoy this snapshot in time.

Cat curious why these tourists are wandering in his hill neighborhood above Sarandë.

A memorable visit to the Albanian Riviera, but ready to explore inland.

Happy travels!